This will be the most exciting season ever, says Vieira as Champions League kicks-off

'Most exciting yet': Patrick Vieira, who works as an ambassador for the PASS education initiative, believes this season's Champions League will be a great spectacle

Patrick Vieira believes this season’s Champions League
will be the most open in memory, with Manchester City now among a cluster of
teams capable of going all the way.

The uncompromising midfielder, who now works for the
Premier League champions as a Football Development Executive, played in
Europe’s leading competition for Arsenal, Juventus and Inter Milan.

The Champions League group stage will start with a bang
on Tuesday evening when City travel to the Bernabeu to take on La Liga
Champions Real Madrid.

It is the first of a succession of tough assignments in
their group – which also includes the Bundesliga winners Borussia Dortmund and
Dutch champions Ajax – but Vieira believes City will progress.

He said: ‘Yes, of course it is a tough group but in order
to win the competition, you have to play against – and beat – the best sides in
Europe.

‘It is the most difficult group but it is also very
exciting for the club - we cannot wait to get to Madrid. Can we win the game?
Yes, there’s no reason why not when you have players like Yaya Toure, David
Silva and Carlos Tevez.’

He added that last season’s failure to progress beyond
the group phase, and City’s subsequent early exit from the Europa League, had
only given the club more motivation.

‘We’ve moved on a lot since then,’ he said.

Real managed to break Barcelona’s stranglehold on the La
Liga championship last season, but the Champions League has eluded them for
over a decade. Real have won the prestigious competition nine times, but not
since 2002.

‘This is a long time for them,’ said Vieira. ‘But Jose
Mourinho is a born winner and he knows what it takes to win the competition, so
you can never count them out. They will be the favourites in the group and they
are so motivated to win it.’

Inevitably, Barcelona will be in the final shake-up and
Vieira believes that despite the loss of Pep Guardiola, the manager who led
them to two Champions League trophies, they will again challenge.

‘They still have all the best players and as long as they
continue to play the way they do, they’ll be there.’

While best remembered for his achievements in a nine-year
spell at Arsenal, where he is still regarded as a demi-God, Vieira spent the
latter part of his playing days in Italy – firstly with Juventus and then Internazionale.

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Euro Star: Vieira played in the Champions League for Arsenal (left), Juventus (right) and Internazionale

While the latter will have to be content with football in
the Europa League this season, Serie A champions Juventus find themselves
paired with holders Chelsea in the group stage, as well as Shakhtar Donetsk and FC
Nordsjaelland.

But Vieira believes the Italian contingent, which also
includes AC Milan, are a long way off the pace in Europe.

He said: ‘In Italy, they’re having a little bit of a
difficult period, mainly because of financial reasons and some of the top teams
are selling their best players.

‘Juventus have some of the most talented players in the
country and so have managed to get round these problems and win the league last
season.’

Against all the odds, last season’s winner was Chelsea,
who upset Bayern Munich in their own backyard to win the final on penalties.
Vieira rates their chances highly: ‘They have some of the best young players in
Europe, including their excellent new signings Eden Hazard and Oscar.

‘There could be a bit of a transition period because some
of the older players are set to be replaced by these young players. But they’ve
started really strongly in the league and are the defending champions, so you
just can’t rule them out.’

Ones to beat: Vieira believes Chelsea, the defending champions, look stronger after the signings of Eden Hazard and Oscar

So what of Arsenal, the club where Vieira was adored?
They have been given a favourable draw in the group stage, with Schalke,
Olympiakos and Montpellier lying in wait, but would not be considered among
many people’s favourites.

‘Sometimes a team can play better when there is no
pressure and so you never know,’ said Vieira

‘Arsenal and their young players always look to play
exciting, attacking football but of course the loss of Robin Van Persie is a
big one – he was a fantastic striker.’

Vieira would not be drawn on predicting who would be
lifting the trophy at Wembley Stadium in May but predicted all the familiar
names – including Bayern Munich and Manchester United – would be in the
business stages of the competition.

Fancy their chances: Barcelona and Real Madrid, seen here playing in the Spanish Supercopa, are among Vieira's favourites to win the Champions League

For many, the strength of this season’s Europa League has
come as a surprise. But Vieira is not surprised to see the likes of Inter
Milan, Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Marseille, Lyon and Stuttgart fighting it
out in an eye-catching tournament.

‘The last three have been special competitions, with so
many strong teams involved,’ Vieira said. ‘More and more, the Europa League is
becoming a more important competition.

‘This year, there is a strong contingent of French and
English teams, plus so many other big names, so it’s really difficult to say
who’ll win.

‘But this makes it more exciting and you may find people
enjoy watching Europa League matches more than Champions League matches.’

Patrick is an ambassador for Western Union's new PASS initiative, turning every pass in this season's UEFA Europa League into funding for one day's education for young people around the world.